KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Feb 2009: The Home Ministry is considering freezing the intake of Nepali security guards to stem their numbers in the country due to the big demand for them.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said many applications for them had been received by his ministry to the point of causing concern.
“Most of the applications for security guards are for Nepalis.
“Till now there are 300,000 foreign security guards in the country and that number is more than the number of police and military personnel who number 200,000-plus,” he told reporters after opening the 20th annual general meeting of the Security Services Association of Malaysia (PPKKM) today.
Syed Hamid said security companies were more interested in taking in Nepali security guards as most of them had a military background.
“If the security industry has only foreigners it will have an impact on security if it is not handled well,” he said.
Earlier, PPKKM acting president Shaheen Mirza Habib in his speech had asked the ministry to consider the intake of Nepali security guards to fulfil customers’ demands.
Syed Hamid said locals should be given first consideration with better wages.
He said the minimum wage being studied should be viewed positively as an effort to attract locals and as such reduce dependence on foreigners.
“A higher and fairer wage will encourage locals to the sector,” he said.
The minimum wage being considered by the National Wage Council of the Human Resources Ministry will be determined by the end of this year.
Syed Hamid also said his ministry will study PPKKM’s proposal that renewal of licenses be done every three years as opposed to annually now.
“The request is reasonable and I have told my staff to study it and have discussions. Still, what is more important is, I hope the security companies provide the best services,” he said.
He said there were 402 registered security firms and of that number 118 had their licenses renewed, 31 failed to renew theirs, 99 renewal applications were being processed, 53 firms had not sent enough information and 98 firms had not applied for renewal.
Meanwhile, Shaheen in his speech also proposed that the ministry freeze the issuance of new licenses until the economy recovers and expands.
He said there were many security firms in the country and that competition was stiff for contracts. — Bernama
